Textbook Error Detectors

Alfaisal Error DetectorsMost medical students have difficulty just learning what is in their textbooks. Many of Alfaisal medical students have learned the material so well that they have developed into “Textbook Error Detectors”. After having these errors pointed out to them, the authors have agreed to correct them.

So far in the past academic year, in the area of anatomy, the following students have spotted errors. Second year student Azhar Mansoor Farooqi picked up errors in the description of arteries in the posterior compartment of the leg as well as errors in the labelling of internal foramina of the skull in “Grays Anatomy for Students” by Richard Drake, A. Wayne Vogel and Adam W.M. Mitchell. He also picked up many errors of labelling of brain tracts and cranial nerves and nuclei in “Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neuroscience” by FitzGerald

First year students Muaz Mallick and Mohammed Al-Shammarani pointed out to the author that in ulnar nerve palsy thumb adduction is affected contrary to what stated in “Gray’s Anatomy for Students”. Again with the same text Qussay Tamim Marashli identified that there was an error in the attachment of the popliteus muscle. Hussam Abou Al-Shaar picked up several mistakes including errors in the innervation of the supinator muscle found in the forearm and errors in the blood supply to the liver and gall bladder.

Clearly our students are not learning anatomy just from textbooks but from an excellent faculty member at Alfaisal University, Dr. Paul Ganguly.